Bottle-washing machine.



No. 889,107. PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

N W. J. CUNNINGHAM.

BOTTLE WA$HING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 28, 1907.

3 SHEETSSEEET 1 Suva ntoz No. 889,107. PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

W. J. CUNNINGHAM. BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IHBpZB, 1907.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2 Suva nl'oz fl/vimeooeo (9% W PATENTED MAY 26, 1908'.

4 W J. CUNNINGHAM. BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 28, 1907.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

v n II A 2 V H Suvonltoz 76 Jam 6% Wt?" eons View of a portion of the device in detached.

- suitably supported and having a miter gear uesful Bottle-Washing Machine, of which the ne'ss. .of a portion 0 the actuating mechanism.

" ATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. CUNNINGHAM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOTTLE-WASHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26, 1908.

Application filed February 28, 1907. Serial No. 359,870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. CUNNING- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and countyof Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and following is a specification.

My invention relates to bottle washing machines and consists in providing a plurality of tanksadapted to contain various solutions, and means for inserting and removing bottles into the tanks in rotation.

It further consists of a novel raising and lowering device for the bottle supporting means.

It further consists of novel means for rotating the bottle supports around the raising and lowering means.

It further consists of novel details of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth. v

Figure 1 represents an end elevation of a bottle washing machine embodying my invention, certain parts being omitted for clearness. Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of a portion of the machine, all of the bottle holders being omitted for the sake of clear- Fig. 3 re resents a bottom plan View Fig. 4 represents a sectional view on line ac-r, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a sectional position and on an enlarged scale.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings: 1 have found in practice in the bottle washing machines in which a plurality of tanks are employed, that it is diflicult to raise and lower the bottle holders and at the same time rotate the same in order that they may be successively placed in the different tanks and thus subjected to the contents thereof and in the drawings I have shown a construction for easily accomplishing the desired results, but it will be evident that difierent arrangements of the arts may be made and different instrumenta ities employed which will accomplish the same result and I do not, therefore, desire to be limited to the exact construction as herein shown and described, but desire to make such changes as may be necessary.

1 designates a shaft to which power may be applied in any desired manner, as through the medium of the pulleys 2 said shaft being 3 thereon, meshing with the miter gear 4, carrying the pinion 5, the latter meshing with the large gear 6 which is rotatably supported upon'the plate 7 and which is adapted to mesh with the plurality of pinions or gears 8. In the present instance, I have shown four pinions as will be best understood from Fig. 3, said pinions being keyed or otherwise secured to the threaded rods or shafts 9, the lower ends of which are 'rotatably mounted in the frame 10. Engaging with the threads on the rods 9 are the thimbles 11 which are situated in suitable openings provided therefor, in the ring or frame 12, it being noted that in the present instance, the ring 12 is provided with the enlargements 13 for the reception of the thimble 11, although any desired form of ring or frame may be employed.

14 designates a flange projecting from the ring 12 which is provided with the groove 15 in its upper face adapted to receive the ball bearings 16 which support the frame ring 17, it being noted more especially from Fig. 5 that by reason of the arrangement of the ring 12 and frame ring 17 with the ball bearings 16 interposed therebetween, that said rings can rotate with'respect to each other that is, the ring 17 can rotate around the ring 12, in the present instance, at the same time, as the said ring 17 is supported by the ring 12 it will be raised and lowered therewith.

Carried by the ring 17 is the frame 18 which in the present instance is substantially square and is provided with the corner pieces .19 to which are bolted the flanges or extensions 20 on the ring 17. In the drawings it will be understood that the frame 18 is provided in the present instance, with four se- 'ries of bottle holders or supports but I have shown only one side provided therewith, for the sake of clearness, although it will be understood that each of the sides of the frame are so provided and that further, there are in the present instance, three tanks into which the bottle holders and bottles carried thereby are successively brought.

Carried in suitable extensions on the frame 18 are shafts 21 which are provided with the beveled gears 22 at each end and with the pinion 23 which latter meshes with an idler 23 which meshes with the pinions 24 car ried on the shaft 25 upon which the bottle holders are mounted. Any desired form of bottle holders may be employed but in the drawings I have shown a rack upon which the bottles are supported and clamping means for holding the bottles upon the rack.

26 designates a tank which is adapted to contain a solution for example, a caustic solution.

27 designates a second tank which is adapted to contain for example, water, and 28 designates a tank into which steam is adapted to 'be thrown for the final operation upon 1 the bottles.

Suitably supported in a bracket on the tank 28 is a gear 29 to which power is imparted in any desired manner, either by hand or power and which gear is adapted to mesh with one of the gears 24 as they are successively brought into position therefor, whereby it will be seen that motion will be imparted to the gear 24 which is in mesh therewith, through the idler 23 to the-gear 23 which in turn rotates the shaft 21 and through release a shaft 25 from its gear 24 so that although motion will be imparted to the gear 24, it will not operate t e shaft 25.

The operator places the bottles in position in the holders at a point say, to the bottom in Fig. 2, after which power is imparted to the pulley 2 which rotates the shaftlt which in turn, through the medium of the beveled gears 3 and 4 and pini'ons 5, rotates the gear 6 which will rotate the pinions 8 and thus the screws 9. This .will cause the ring 12 to be raised upon the said screw rods 9 after which the operator can turn the frame 18 and frame ring 17, until the bottle holder, which has been filled, is situated in a position above the first tank 26, when, by proper motion being imparted to. the operating parts the screws 9 are operated in the op osite direction, lowering the frame 18 and also the holders containing the bottles into the tank 26 where the bottles are subjected to the caustic solution. a

. It will be understood that as soon as the frame 18 and parts are lowered and the bottles are in the tank 26, that the gear 24 is in mesh with the gear 29. on the side of the tank 28 so that motion will be immediately imparted to said gear 24 and the shaft 25, which will rotate the bottle holders carrying the bottles around in the tank, insuring a 0 complete subjection of the same to the action of the caustic solution. As before stated, when the shaft 25 is rotated, the gear 24 will impart motion to the gear 23 and to the shaft 21 which, through the medium of its beveled 5 gears 22 will impart motion to the two shafts The next set of bottle hol same? 21 on each side of the first mentioned shaft 21 and also to the shaft 21 o posite thereto. (ffars' has, meanwhile, been lowered in the osition before the operator at the bottom of ig. 2, ready to be filled and the operator, by releasing the clutch 30, permits the pinion 24 to run as an idler, so that this shaft 25 will not be rotated. The operator now fills the next set of holders, throws in the clutch 30, and by rotation of the shaft 1 the frame 18 is again raised by the rotation of'screws 9, and is rotated by the operator around the rin 12, when the frame 18 is again lowered, an the first set of bottles are lmmersed in the solution in the tank 27 while the second set of bottles are subjected to the caustic solution in the tank 26. This operation'is repeated until the cleansed bottles are again in front of the operator when they are removed and another set of bottles to be cleansed are placed'in position in the holder, it beingv understood that when the bottles are lowered into the various tanks the holders are rotated by the rotation of the shaft 25 previously described so that the bottles are constantly subjected to a rotary movement through the various materials contained in the tanks.

In the drawings I have shown one of the tanks, that is 28 provided with a hood 31, although it willbe understood that I may provide any of the others with a suitable hood. These hoods can be hinged or otherwise secured to the tanks and in the drawin I have shown the outer periphery of the hood provided with rack or gear teeth 32 which are engaged by a pinion 33 which may be operated by the handle 34 for properly locking the tank, it being understood that in this construction the hood can be located into the tank or over the bottle holders, as desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Lett ers Patent, is

1. In a bottle washing machine, a plurality of carriers, mounted on. axes, means for r0 tating said carriers, a plurality of tanks ada ted to contain solutions, a support for sai carriers and axes, means for raislng said support whereby saidnca rriers are removed from said tanks, and may be swung ar und said raising means and lowered in difiere'nt tanks.

2. In a bottle washing machine, a rotatable carrier mounted on an axis, a support for said carrier, bottle holders on said carrier, a plurality of tanks having difierent solutions therein, means for rotating said carrier in either of said tanks for any desired interval and means for elevating and lowerin said support whereby the carrier is remove from one tank to another said support being adapted to be swung around said raising and lowerlng means.

3. In a bottle washing machine,.a plurality be located in difierenttanks,

of tanks, threaded rods, sleeves in enga ement with the threads on the rods, means or rotating the rods, a stationary support, a

support oarried'by said stationary support adapted to be swung around thereon, a plurality of carriers on said support, bottle holders on said carriers, and means for rotating said carriers.

4. n a bottle washing machine, a plurality of tanks, a plurality of carriers, a su port for said carriers, means for raising and lowering said support and carriers and upon which the latter can be swung, whereby the carriers can be located in dfierent tanks, and means carried with said support for rotating said carriers in said tanks.

5. In a bottle washing machine, a plurality of tanks, a plurality of carriers, a su port for said carriers, means forraising and owering said support and carriers and upon which the latter can be swung, whereby the carriers can means carried with said support for rotating said carriers in said tanks and a movable hood for closin said tanks after the carriers are located therein.

6. In a bottle washing machine, a plurality of tanks, threaded rods, sleeves in enga ement with the threads on the rods, means %or rotating the rods whereby the sleeves are raised and lowered, a support carried by said sleeves, a rotatable support carried by said first mentioned support, a plurality of carriers on said rotatable support, bottle holde'r s on said carriers and means for rotating said carriers.

7. In a bottle washing machine, a frame, means for raising and lowering said frame, a second frame rotatably mounted on said first mentioned frame, a plurality of bottle holders carried by said frame, .means for rotating said bottle holders, and a plurality of tanks adapted into which the bottle holders are adapted to be successively located.

8. In a bottle washing machine, means for raisin second frame ad said first mentione tle holders, means for rotating said bottle holders, means for throwing into or out of o eration, purality of tanks into which the bottle olders are adapted to be successively located.

9. In a bottle washing machine, a pluralit of threaded rods, sleeves in engagement wit the threads on the rods, means. for rotatin the'rods whereby the sleeves are raised and lowered, a support carried by said sleeves, a rotatable support carried by said first mena frame, and lowering said frame, a

tioned support, a plurality of carriers on said to contain suitable solution apted to be sup orted by;

frame,aplura1tyofboteach of said bottle holders, and a rotatable support, anti-friction devices between said sup orts, bottle holders on said carriers, means or rotating said carriers, and a plurality of tanks adapted to contain suitab e solutions ,into whic thebottle holders are adapted to be successively located.

WILLIAM J. CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, WM. OANER WIEDERSEIM. 

